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An internet rumor states that the onions inWhite Castleburgers are not really onions at all. Instead, they are little pieces of cabbage that have been soaked in onion juice. Could this rumor be true?
The onions on White Castle burgers are an integral part of the recipe. Without the onions, a White Castle slider would not be a slider at all. The burgers are cooked on a bed of steaming onions, which help permeate the burger patties and the buns placed on top at the end of the cooking process. If the onions weren’t onions, that would be a strange twist!
And a silly one. Cabbage cooked on a grill (yes flat-tops are routinely referred to as “grills” or even flat top grills) 1White Castle uses a special grill with a square shaped indentation designed to make 30 burgers at once and hold all the onions in place. does not have the texture of onions, and a bitter taste would result. What’s more, soaking cabbage pieces in onion juice would not make them taste like onions, or behave like them! They would taste like oniony pieces of cabbage. The other thing to consider is why in the world the company would want to do this. Onion juice could not save money. It makes no sense.
Anyone who thinks that the onions on a White Castle burger are not onions has likely never been to White Castle, nor eaten any onions, it seems. It is a ridiculous myth. The company admits in their FAQ that they use dehydrated onions for their burgers, as they have been doing since World War II, when onions were rationed and in short supply. The next time you’re in the spice aisle at the grocery store, look for dehydrated onion bits, and you’ll see basically the same kind of onions White Castle uses. They rehydrate them first, of course!
A rare version of this myth has turnips being used as an onion stand-in. This, of course, is just as ridiculous as cabbage.
You can watch some White Castle burgers being made in the video from Destination America below.
References
1. “White Castle FAQs.” Sliders, Cheeseburgers, Chicken Sliders & More. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2014. <http://www.whitecastle.com/faqs>.
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As a culinary expert with a deep understanding of food myths and practices, I can confidently address the claim regarding the onions in White Castle burgers being cabbage pieces soaked in onion juice. This rumor, circulating on the internet, is unequivocally false, and I can substantiate this with a wealth of culinary knowledge.
Firstly, the onions on White Castle burgers play a crucial role in the recipe, and their unique flavor is integral to the iconic slider experience. The cooking process involves placing the burger patties on a bed of steaming onions, infusing them with the distinctive onion flavor. This method has been a hallmark of White Castle's preparation since its inception.
The notion of using cabbage pieces soaked in onion juice is implausible for several reasons. Cabbage lacks the texture and taste profile of onions, and grilling cabbage on a flat-top, as White Castle does, would result in an entirely different and unappetizing outcome. The suggestion that soaking cabbage in onion juice would replicate the flavor of onions is unfounded; instead, it would yield oniony-flavored cabbage, not authentic onion taste.
Furthermore, from a practical standpoint, there is no incentive for White Castle to adopt such a bizarre substitution. Using onion juice-soaked cabbage would not be a cost-saving measure, and it defies culinary logic. The claim becomes even more untenable considering that White Castle openly acknowledges using dehydrated onions in their burgers, a practice dating back to World War II when onions were rationed. This information is sourced directly from the company's FAQ section, providing irrefutable evidence of their onion choice.
It's important to note that a variant of this myth suggests turnips being used as an onion substitute, which is equally absurd. The culinary expertise and practical considerations disprove these baseless rumors.
In conclusion, the idea that the onions in White Castle burgers are not genuine onions but rather cabbage pieces soaked in onion juice is a ludicrous myth. White Castle's long-standing use of dehydrated onions, coupled with the culinary impracticality and lack of cost savings in the proposed alternative, debunks this claim. It is essential to rely on credible sources and factual information to dispel such culinary misconceptions.
